Gavin is finally going to the bathroom on his own. I can't believe it! He just started last week, and its been over a week with only one stinky pullup. He's been using the toilet to pee pee for a few months now, that hasn't been a problem. It's the number 2 that has been the major hurdle. He's had some serious reservations about it, as if he's scared to death of sitting on the toilet. Some children with autism may never be able to use the bathroom on their own. Sara and I were seriously prepared for a lifetime of diaper changes. We had all but given up, telling each other that "Someday, he'll just start doing it on his own.... but probably not today."

We've tried everything! He never liked the little miniature potty, or at least he never would sit on it for more than a minute. We bought him a little seat that sits over the toilet bowl so he fits better on it. That was months ago. We've tried bribing him with a myriad of different candies, finally settling on these special "Spongebob Treats" (little gummy Crabby Patties). He also gets to watch his favorite 7 minute cartoon, "Mater and the Ghostlight". These rewards have been in place for him for nearly a year. I really don't know what exactly prompted him to just decide to start pooping on the toilet now. My only clue is what he said right after the first time he did it:

Almost symbolically, it was New Years day. I was in the kitchen making breakfast and the boys were both happily engaged in the office playing on Starfall.com (see previous post).
Out of the blue, I heard Gavin announce "I can have a Spongebob treat  and watch Mater and the Ghostlight now. No spongebob treats for Garrett." What a terrific sentence from this kid! (He's also starting to use great sentences and ask more questions. Awesome!) I dropped what I was doing and bolted to the bathroom. Gavin was still standing with his pajama pants around his ankles, admiring his creation with a great look of gratification on his face. I'll never forget it, two floaters and a sinker. Beautiful!

After cleaning up and washing hands, we celebrated with a Crabby Patty and his favorite show on the Cars dvd. Garrett sauntered in to see what all the hubbub was about, and Gavin reminded him that he couldn't have a Spongebob treat until he poops on the potty. Garrett seemed okay with that, he's got his own reservations about the potty. He loves to just sit on it,  not to employ it. Gavin relishes the fact that he has reached this level of accomplishment, and can enjoy the fruits of success while Garrett cannot.

I am now convinced that the greatest motivator for potty training success is the peer group. If your friends are doing it, you will be able to do it too, right? Gavin has had better success with the potty at school (with a lot of prompting) mainly due to his friends' abilities, and Gavin's desire for same-ness. Not wanting to be left out, Gavin has succumbed to his teachers' persistent efforts. They celebrate every bathroom success with a dance and a song, so every kid in the classroom knows when someone is achieving this important skill.

I am so proud of Gavin and his new ability. It has been such a long road to get to this point, for him and for us.
I hope by writing and bragging like this I'm not jinxing his progress. He has regressed in the past. We always thought that Garrett would be the first one to master the commode, and Gavin would follow in his little brother's footsteps. No sir! Our magnificent 4 year old is blazing this trail.

If you have toddlers that are thirsty for learning, we have found the best thing for them in the world. It is called Starfall, a website just for kids learning to read! It is so awesome, and free! Garrett and Gavin absolutely love it, and can't get enough of it. (See photo - Saturday, pre-breakfast!) It is an incredible tool. These kids literally spend a full hour at a time on Starfall, and its a great hour of learning - not pointless cartoons or something. Granted, most little kid tv shows these days are not pointless or without value, but Starfall is such a better way to keep their little light bulbs illuminated. Plus, the real bonus is that these boys aren't begging us for entertainment! They are totally engulfed in the word games and stories. It's a priceless hour for parents to do dishes, fold clothes, change oil, fix broken ____(fill in the blank) etc.

Garrett and Gavin both fell in love with the computer at about the same time. Once they realized that the mouse makes the little arrow go, it was on. I'd come home from work to find every application on my computer open, and every file on my desktop in complete disarray and renamed. Nice. They'd rename my projects stuff like "krgghjivbnre" or "1i6u4mk++=+". Sometimes stuff would vanish completely. Luckily its all still in the apple time machine. That thing has been a lifesaver since the boys have started meddling with our computers! I now use a password lock.

We realized that there has to be some software or a program to buy that would suit these guys' ages, so we started hunting for it, and voila! We found Starfall. Nothing to buy, its free! Its the best thing out there that we've tried, even compared to some of the pay sites "free trials".

I love the way the buttons on the site are really large, easy to click. There are matching games, spelling games, and click/drag games that teach coordination. These kids have gotten so good at using the mouse just in the last week or two, its amazing. I recommend using a wireless mouse, for sure. It eliminates a lot of wired frustration.

Gavin and Garrett take over our computers like a couple little thuggish computer jackers. They just love these games! I love the way Gavin is sounding out each letter of words now. He's actually learning to read the right way! He was reading by memorization before. He could memorize a book after I read it to him a few times, and he would recognize the words in other places. I don't know if that's a bad way to learn, it just doesn't seem conventional or practical. Starfall has some magic way to keep these kids engaged and progressing. Their brains are just flourishing. Its very exciting! We've got to get these dudes their own computer. Or two. Everything has to come in pairs nowadays. Maybe we can get some used e-macs on craigslist for cheap! That'll have to be after Christmas...